Miley Cyrus “Flowers” debuted at #1

Flowers Miley Cyrus

Writer(s): Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein, Michael Pollack (see lyrics here) Released: January 12, 2023 First Charted: January 28, 2023 Peak: 18 BB, 118 BA, 15 DG, 14 ST, 110 RR, 134 AC, 117 A40, 110 UK, 115 UK, 112 AU, 22 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 1.2 UK, 5.6 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 826.8 video, 1712.75 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Flowers” became the biggest hit of Miley Cyrus’s career. It was her second time to ascend to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, following “Wrecking Ball” a decade earlier. When she first topped the charts, she was 21 years old but already a veteran of the music industry. She starred in the Disney TV series Hannah Montana from 2006 to 2011, playing a pop star who maintains a secret identity as a more normal person. In the real world, she started collecting hits under the “Hannah Montana” banner but then launched her career as Miley Cyrus, achieving success with “Party in the U.S.A.” (#2, 2009), “The Climb” (#4, 2009), and eventually the #1 hit “Wrecking Ball” in 2013. As of this writing, 2023’s “Flowers” was her tenth of eleven top-10 hits. “Flowers,” the lead single from her eight studio album Endless Summer Vacation, topped the charts in 38 countries WK and became the fastest song in Spotify history to reach one billion streams (112 days). WK It has been nominated for Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. The lyrics follow the protaganist’s efforts after a breakup to celebrate her independence and realize she is responsible for her own happiness. They make reference to her real-life relationship with actor Liam Hemsworth, who she married in 2018 and divorced in 2020. The song interpolates the melody from Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 women’s empowerment anthem “I Will Survive” WK and adapts some of the lyrics from Bruno Mars’ 2013 chart-topper “When I Was Your Man.” SF Consequence.com’s Mary Siroky said “Flowers” sounds like “if the hazy, peaceful California tone of ‘Malibu’ were to be applied to a dance pop track.” WK The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis compared the song’s “shimmering electric guitar and understated yacht-rock mood” to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 classic album Rumours. WK Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/2/2024; last updated 2/5/2024.